A proposed traffic circle has been proposed for the intersection of Hamilton, Front and Union Streets in Allentown. Hamilton Street is shown crossing left to right on the plan.

A proposed traffic circle has been proposed for the intersection of Hamilton, Front and Union Streets in Allentown. Hamilton Street is shown crossing left to right on the plan. (MCMAHON TRANSPORTATION ENGINEERS &, SUBMITTED)

Residents and business owners got a first look Tuesday at a proposed traffic circle that would overhaul the intersection of Allentown's Hamilton, Union and Front streets, although officials warned that construction of such a circle is at least several years away.

The circle, first conceptualized about two years ago, would create a new solution for traffic at one of Allentown's most used — and most confusing — intersections. Currently the junction of Hamilton, Front and Union streets is connected with a series of roads that pass over and under one another in front of the America on Wheels Museum.

While the current layout allows through traffic on Hamilton Street in both directions, it provides limited access to Front Street — a one-way street near the intersection — and offers no connection between Union and Front streets. The current design also has little to no signage to help visitors navigate the twisted roadway.

That's a problem for city officials who are in the process of trying to revitalize Allentown's formerly industrial waterfront into a destination appealing to locals and visitors. The area is included in the city's Neighborhood Improvement Zone, a state designation that allows developers to tap into state and local tax revenue to finance projects that create jobs.

In center city Allentown, the NIZ has spawned the development of the city's new PPL Center and countless other projects. Likewise, plans are in the works for several multi-million-dollar developments along the Lehigh River including a brewing facility at the former Neuweiler Brewery and a mixed-use complex of buildings that would offer office, commercial and residential space at the former Lehigh Structural Steel site.

Several years ago, EDSA, a design firm commissioned to create a master plan for the waterfront, proposed a traffic circle, or roundabout, for the intersection of Hamilton, Union and Front streets that would serve as a gateway to new development. McMahon Transportation Engineers and Planners recently took that plan one step further and completed a feasibility study for the circle.

The study recommends a two-lane circle with extensive directional signs to help guide drivers through the intersection. Front Street would be two-way at the circle, allowing for drivers to better exit waterfront attractions, and Union Street would connect to Front Street via the circle for the first time. The city could expect a reduction in crashes, designers said.

About 30 residents and local business owners attended a meeting Tuesday to offer input on the plan. Many were concerned about slowed traffic flow in the area, particularly at the heavily congested Union Street. Nicole Kline, a project manager with McMahon, warned that the study was just one of many steps that would be needed to complete the project. Union Street would likely need to be widened, she said.

Many questions remain about a construction schedule for the project, which would likely close the Hamilton Street Bridge for some time. McMahon has recommended waiting to work on the circle until after the construction of the American Parkway Bridge is completed in 2015, and after yet-to-begin reconstruction of the Tilghman Street Bridge is finished.

"This is a very early proposal," City Planner Mike Hefele said. "This is a study we felt we need to have done to identify some of the issues that need to be worked on together. It's a major improvement, it's a major project and it's not going to happen anytime soon."